Former captain of Pakistan Wasim Akram has called for the elimination of the toss system in ICC knockout matches. This plea comes in the aftermath of Australia’s six-wicket victory over India in the World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad.
Australia, having won the toss, opted to field first on a dry wicket at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The decision proved fruitful as Pat Cummins and his team bowled out India for 240. The Australian batting duo of Travis Head, who scored a blistering ton (137), and Marnus Labuschagne’s determined innings (58*) successfully chased down the target with 42 balls to spare.
In response to a query from Sportskeeda on the significance of the toss in the final, Wasim Akram shared his perspective on the A Sports show, ‘The Pavilion.’ He expressed his desire for the toss not to be a deciding factor in knockout games such as quarterfinals and semifinals.
“I wish that in knockout games like quarterfinals and semifinals, the toss wouldn’t impact the outcome. In Australia, the toss matters due to seam movement at night, but in the subcontinent, batting becomes easier in the evening because of dew. Both Australia and India worked hard to reach the final, so it should be a fair chance for both sides. The game shouldn’t be determined solely by a toss; that’s what bothers me most of the time,” he said.
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